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Copy 1 



y-Sixth Congress, Third Session 



House Document No. 1022 



CARL C. VAN DYKE 

( Late a Representative from Minnesota ) 

MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 

DELIVERED IN THE 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OF THE UNITED STATES 



SIXTY-SIXTH CONGRESS 
SECOND SESSION 



May 16, 1920 



PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 
THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING 




W/"^ 



WASHINGTON 
1922 . 



.N33 




LIBRARY OF C0NQH6W 

MAY 251922 

OOCUMSNT* DlV.JION 



'^ . >t * ?i ,.-L : jai 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Page. 

Proceedings in the House 5,37 

Prayer by Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D 5,8 

Memorial addresses by — 

Mr. Oscar E. Keller, of Minnesota 11 

Mr. Sydney Anderson, of Minnesota 16 

Mr. James V. McClintic, of Oklahoma 18 

Mr. Charles R. Davis, of Minnesota 21 

Mr. Ernest Lundeen, of Minnesota 24 

Mr. Walter H. Newton, of Minnesota 26 

Mr. Harold Knutson, of Minnesota 28 

Mr. Everett Sanders, of Indiana 30 

Mr. William L, Carss, of Minnesota 33 

Mr. Thomas D. Schall, of Minnesota 35 

Proceedings in the Senate 39 

Funeral oration by Hon. Franklin F. Ellsworth at Forest 

Hill Cemetery Mausoleum, St. Paul, Minn., May 24, 1919.. 41 



[3] 




HON. CARL C.VAN DYKE 



DEATH OF HON. CARL C. VAN DYKE 



PROCEEDINGS IN THE HOUSE 



Tuesday, May 20, 1919. 
The House met at 12 o'clock noon. 

The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D., offered the 
following prayer. 

We bless Thee, our Father in heaven, for the beautiful 
spirit of harmony which prevailed on the opening day of 
the Sixty-sixth Congress, and we most earnestly pray 
that the spirit of brotherly love may follow in the wake of 
that day's opening. Men who think for themselves and 
act on their initiative in great problems, questions of 
state, will differ, but we pray that the spirit of American- 
ism may dominate them in their discussion, and that the 
love of home, the love of country, and all that is best in 
us may be guided by the angel of mercy. 

And now, God, our Father, help us to bend to Thy 
mighty will and believe that what Thou doest Thou doest 
for the good of mankind. Comfort us, therefore, in the 
loss of a Member of this House who was taken suddenly 
away; comfort his friends and family and bring them 
together again in thine own good time in one of the man- 
sions Thou hast made for Thy children. In the name of 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Mr. Davis of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, it is my sad duty 
to inform the House of the very recent and very unex- 
pected death of Hon. Carl C. Van Dyke, of St. Paul, 
Minn. 

[51 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Van Dyke 

In the near future I shall offer a resolution asking that 
a day be set apart in order that eulogies may be delivered 
upon his life and memory. At this time, however, I de- 
sire to offer the following resolution and ask its imme- 
diate adoption. 

The Speaker. The Clerk will report the resolution. 

The Clerk read as follows : 

Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow 
of the death of Hon. Carl C. Van Dyke, a Representative from 
the State of Minnesota. 

Resolved, That a committee of 18 Members of the House, with 
such Members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to 
attend such funeral. 

Resolved, That the Sergeant at Arms of the House be authorized 
and directed to take such steps as may be necessary for car- 
rying out the provisions of tliese resolutions, and that the neces- 
sary expenses in connection therewith be paid out of the con- 
tingent fund of the House. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the 
Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. 

The Speaker. The question is on the adoption of the 
resolution. 

Mr. Davis of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, just one moment. 
I am informed that a very dear comrade of Carl C. Van 
Dyke, Mr. Griffin, of New York, who was associated with 
hun in the Spanish-American War, desires to have his 
name placed on the list. 

The Speaker. It is upon the list. The question is on the 
adoption of the resolution. 

The resolution was unanimously agreed to. 

The Speaker. The Chair appoints the following com- 
mittee: Mr. Davis of Minnesota, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Ells- 
worth, Mr. Schall, Mr. Knutson, Mr. Newton of Minnesota, 
Mr. Carss, Mr. Maher, Mr. Aswell, Mr. Ragsdale, Mr. Rom- 
jue, Mr. Reavis, Mr. Gandy, Mr. McClintic, Mr. Mudd, Mr. 

[6] 



Proceedings in the House 



Johnson of South Dakota, Mr. Young of North Dakota, 
and Mr. GriflSn. 

Mr. Davis of Minnesota. I offer this additional resolu- 
tion. 

The Speaker. The Clerk will report it. 

The Clerk read as follows : 

Resolved, That, as a further mark of respect, this House do now 
adjourn. 

The Speaker. The question is on agreeing to the reso- 
lution. 

The resolution was unanimously agreed to; accordingly 
(at 1 o'clock and 3 minutes p. m.) the House adjourned 
until to-morrow, Wednesday, May 21, 1919, at 12 o'clock 
noon. 

Wednesday, May 21, 1919. 
A message from the Senate, by Mr. Waldorf, its enroll- 
ing clerk, announced that the Senate had passed the 
following resolutions: 

Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the 
announcement of the death of Hon. Carl C. Van Dyke, late a 
Representative from the State of Minnesota. 

Resolved, That a committee of Senators be appointed by the 
Vice President to join such committee as may be appointed on 
the part of the House of Representatives to attend the funeral of 
the deceased. 

Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these 
resolutions to the House of Representatives. 

And that in compliance with the foregoing resolutions 
the Vice President had appointed as said committee Mr. 
Nelson, Mr. Kellogg, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Mr. 
Phelan, Mr. Walsh of Montana, and Mr. Lenroot. 

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of 
Hon. CuiL C. Van Dyke, late a Representative from the State of 
Minnesota, the Senate do now adjourn. 

[7] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Van Dyke 

Sunday, May 16, 1920. 

The House was called to order by the Speaker pro tem- 
pore [Mr. Hutchinson]. 

The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D., offered the 
following prayer : 

Our Fatlier who art in heaven, that God, which ever 
lives and loves, one God, one law, one element, one far- 
off divine event to which the whole creation moves. 

If I ask Him to receive me, will He say me nay? 
Not till earth and not till heaven pass away. 

So with renewed faith, and hope, and confidence we 
approach Thee in the sacred attitude of prayer, confi- 
dently trusting in the overruling of Thy providence to the 
good of all Thy children. We thank Thee for the indis- 
soluble ties which bind us to Thee, which time nor space 
can sever. 

We meet to fulfill the desires of our heart. Two men of 
affairs, who wrought well, died well in the faithful dis- 
charge of their duty; in their work challenged the admira- 
tion of their fellows who called them to serve the people 
on the floor of this House; who shirked no duty, have 
passed on in the harness to that life in one of God's many 
mansions, where under more favorable circumstances 
they will develop the larger and more perfect life. But 
we would write on the pages of history their life, charac- 
ter, and public service for those who shall come after us. 
May Thy loving arms be about those who knew and loved 
them and inspire them with hope and confidence, that 
though they may not return they will surely go to them in 
a realm where love reigns supreme. 

We know not what the future hath of marvel or surprise. 
Assured alone that life and death His mercy underlies. 

Thus we hope, aspire, and pray. In the spirit of the 
Master. Amen. 

[8] 



Proceedings in the House 



Mr. Bacharach. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that the reading of the Journal be deferred until to- 
morrow. 

The Speaker pro tempore. The gentleman from New 
Jersey asks unanimous consent that the reading of the 
Journal be postponed until to-morrow. Is there objec- 
tion? [After a pause.] The Chair hears none. The 
Clerk will report the special order. 

The Clerk read as follows: 

On motion of Mr. Keller, by unanimous consent. 

Ordered, That Sunday, May 16, 1920, be set apart for paying 

tribute to the memory of Hon. Carl C. Van Dyke, late a Member 

from the State of Minnesota. 

Mr. Bacharach. Mr. Speaker, I offer the following reso- 
lution and ask for its adoption. 

The Speaker pro tempore. The Clerk will report the 
resolution. 

The Clerk read as follows: 

Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended, 
that an opportunity may be given for tributes to the memory of 
Hon. Carl C. Van Dyke, late a Member of the House of Repre- 
sentatives from the State of Minnesota. 

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of 
the deceased, and in recognition of his eminent abilities as a dis- 
tinguished public servant, the House, at the conclusion of these 
memorial proceedings, shall stand adjourned. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the 
Senate. 

Resolved, That the Clerk be instructed to send a copy of these 
resolutions to the family of the deceased. 

The question was taken, and the resolution was unani- 
mously agreed to. 

The Speaker pro tempore. In accordance with the reso- 
lution recently passed, the time has now arrived for eulo- 



m 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Van Dyke 

gies upon the life, character, and public services of the late 
Carl Chester Van Dyke, of Minnesota. 

Mr. Volstead. Mr. Speaker, in view of the fact that the 
notice of these exercises was very short, and that there 
are a good many people absent who would like to be here, 
I ask unanimous consent that those absent as well as 
those present may have opportunity to insert remarks 
appropriate to the occasion in the Record at any time 
hereafter. 

The Speaker pro tempore. The gentleman from Minne- 
sota [Mr. Volstead] asks unanimous consent that those 
who are not present to-day and those who are present be 
given opportunity to extend appropriate remarks in the 
Record. Is there objection? [After a pause.] The Chair 
hears none. 

The gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Keller] is recog- 
nized. 



[10] 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 



Address of Mr. KIeller, of Minnesota 

Mr. Speaker: We have again been called together to 
pay our respects to the departed, to memorialize the work 
of a sincere and faithful servant of the people — a beauti- 
ful custom, a sacred custom — and yet it has occurred to 
me that the rugged and thorny path that one must travel 
while performing the lofty duties as a Member of this 
House can scarcely be smoothed by what is said here in 
eulogizing the work of our departed coworkers. The 
road will still be beset with its obstacles, but surely there 
must be that infinite satisfaction to those who have trav- 
eled to that great beyond that their endeavors, sincere 
and true, have not been in vain, that to their relatives and 
to their friends who are left to mourn their loss will be 
conveyed the true recognition of the faithful service 
which they have so conscientiously endeavored to render 
their people and their country. 

Carl Chester Van Dyke, late a Member of this House, 
was born at Alexandria, Minn., February 18, 1881, being 
one of seven sons of Chester B. Van Dyke. The early 
years of his life were spent at his birthplace; he was edu- 
cated in the public grade and high schools there, but in 
his early youth removed to St. Paul, Minn., where he 
entered the St. Paul College of Law. His earliest ambi- 
tions in life were to serve his fellow men, to make this 
world a better place to live in, to inculcate into the hearts 
and minds of the growing generations the real American 
spirit. In order to realize his ambitions he entered the 
educational field as a teacher in the public schools of 

[11] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Van Dyke 

Douglas County, Minn. This was just prior to the out- 
break of the Spanish-American War and while he was 
still in his teens. 

Responding to that greater impulse to serve his country, 
he enlisted as a private with a St. Paul company of in- 
fantry and was actively engaged during the entire war. 
Upon his discharge from the service he again resumed 
his activities in the educational field, teaching in the 
public schools of Alexandria. But the very meager re- 
muneration, then as now, to those who undertake the 
education of our children resulted in his decision to enter 
a field of activity which would compensate him, at least 
sufficiently to insure the ordinary comforts and necessi- 
ties of life, for his labors, although it deprived him of his 
cherished hope and desire to directly contribute to the 
upbuilding of those principles and those bulwarks that 
constitute the very backbone of our existence as a free 
and liberty-loving people. 

His lot was then cast with the Government, having en- 
tered the Railway Mail Service as a postal clerk. It was 
here that he laid the foundation for his future greatness 
and his elevation to Congress. Imbued with that spirit 
of helpfulness to his fellow man, and realizing the abso- 
lute necessity for improvement in the working conditions 
and salaries and the elimination of the " gag rule " under 
which his fellow employees had long been suffering, he 
succeeded in perfecting an effective organization and 
opened the fight to clean up conditions in the Postal 
Service. He entered this fight with the same spirit that 
animated his everj- action, both in public and private life, 
with the sincere interests of his Government, his fellow 
worker, and the public at heart. He realized that the 
efficiency of the service depended almost wholly on a 
contented and satisfied employee. But his devotion to 



[12] 



Address of Mr. Keller, of Minnesota 

duty was not overlooked while attending his greater work 
among his fellow men, which fact can be substantiated 
by his remarkable record of promotions. His was the 
distinction of being the youngest man in the United States 
Postal Service to become " clerk in charge," attaining all 
grades in the period of two and one-half years. 

After 10 years of service as a clerk he was elected presi- 
dent of the Tenth Division Railway Mail Association. The 
great interest he maintained in the welfare of his co- 
workers and his energetic activities in their behalf re- 
sulted, ultimately, in his removal from the Railway Mail 
Service and his assignment to post-office duty, which 
assignment he refused. He continued his fight for the 
mail clerks in his capacity as an official of the Railway 
Mail Association. In 1914 he was chosen as the Demo- 
cratic Party standard bearer in the congressional fight in 
the fourth district of Minnesota and, to the surprise of 
his most intimate friends and, in fact, to all the people 
of the district, he was elected. His rise from obscurity 
as a postal clerk to the lofty post as a representative of 
the people in the Halls of Congress was as well deserved 
as it was meteoric. The avenue for greater service to his 
fellow men was opened to him. His record as a Con- 
gressman is an open book to which his family, his friends, 
and his former constituents proudly point. Always firm 
in his convictions, sincere and well grounded in his prin- 
ciples, fair and impartial to all classes, thorough and con- 
vincing in his arguments, his achievements in Congress 
stand as the most fitting memorial, as the most sacred 
monument, to his untiring efforts in behalf of the people 
he loved, in behalf of the ideals he so fondly cherished, 
in behalf of the ambitions he so yearned to realize. 

Ever conscious of the great responsibilities devolving 
upon him, thoroughly conversant with the huge problems 



[13] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Van Dyke 

that developed especially during the latter days of his 
service here, his thoughts and liis actions were always 
inspired with that noble devotion to the principles and 
ideals which he always held uppermost in his mind— those 
principles and ideals which won for him the esteem, the 
confidence, and the respect of his constituents and his 
thousands of friends. His primary thought ever con- 
cerned the man who ekes out his existence by the sweat 
of his brow, those countless thousands whose interests 
and whose welfare have so sorely been neglected in recent 
years. May the noble work so faithfully fostered and de- 
veloped during his service in Congi'ess serve as an inspira- 
tion to those of us who yet have the opportunity to ad- 
vance it; may we open to them the door of a broader 
Americanism, a more devout Americanism, based more 
nearly upon that freedom and that liberty which our fore- 
fathers guaranteed them when they drafted and adopted 
that great document — the Constitution of the United 
States. 

Left to mourn the loss of a devoted husband and a lov- 
ing father are Myrtle B. Lampmann Van Dyke, of Alex- 
andria, and two daughters, Alleyene and Mildred. To them 
must come that infinite consolation in their hours of lone- 
liness and in their days of sadness that in this little family 
circle was wrapped everything that Carl held sweet and 
dear to him in this vale of tears; it was to this home, so 
richly endowed with the comforts and the happiness and 
the contentment that make life's battles seem so common- 
place, to which he would always turn for relief after ful- 
filling his arduous duties in the workaday world — to that 
heaven on earth, the home, which is the sanctuary of that 
true Americanism which he so nobly represented in his 
principles and his ideals. 

That Mr. Van Dyke should have been cut down in the 
springtime of life, when all the world stood before him, 

[14] 



Address of Mr. Keller, of Minnesota 

with his vision clear and liis course plainly mapped out, 
just at the moment when he was about to attain the sum- 
mit of success in his life's work — when the golden dreams 
and the cherished hopes and aspirations were within reach 
of his outs.tretched hand — is difficult of comprehension. 
But as the good Lord, ever guiding him in his righteous 
and humane endeavors among his fellow men, saw fit to 
call him to that reward which he so justly deserved, we 
who remain to mourn hia loss must console ourselves with 
the thought that his activities among us have not been in 
vain, that oui-s is Uie richer heritage because of our asso- 
ciation with him, that to us is left that inspiration, that 
impelling force which teaches us that all that is given us 
in life is the knowledge and the desire to work for the bet- 
terment of conditions for our fellow men, that content- 
ment and happiness can only eome from service such as 
was rendered by our departed colleague, Carl C. Van 
Dyke. 

May you and I, to-day, grasp the significance of this in- 
spiration, may we be brought to a realization of the op- 
portunities tliat are presented to us daily, and may we 
ever be guided in our eiforts here by the same lofty ideals 
and tine same well-grounded principles which so nobly 
aided Carl C. Van Dyke to realize, in part, the ambitions 
of his youth, to the end that when our 

Summons comes to join 
The innumerable caravan, that moves 
To that mysterious realm, where each shall take 
His chamber in the silent halls of death 
Thou go not like the quarry-slave at night 
Scourged to his dungeon, but, sustained and soothed 
By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave, 
Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch 
About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams. 



[W] 



Address of Mr. Anderson, of Minnesota 

Mr. Speaker: It is not my purpose to dwell at length 
and in detail upon the life and public services of our 
distinguished colleague, Carl C. Van Dyke. That has al- 
ready been done better and more eloquently than I could 
do it. I wish, rather, only to pay to his memory the sin- 
cere and modest tribute of a friend and comrade. It is 
a significant and a pleasing thing that we should gather 
here in these historic Halls for this purpose, where so 
many crises in the Nation's history have been met and 
where the great moments of our colleague were spent. 

Mr. Speaker, 1 am told that in a far country, in the 
midst of a splendid wilderness, where towering, snow- 
capped peaks stand like sentinels and the roar of a cata- 
ract translates itself into a murmur of music, there has 
been erected a beautiful temple of white marble. I am 
told that this temple is surmounted by a great crystal 
dome, beneath which is a shrine, and that those who pray 
at this shrine can hear their prayers answered in a lan- 
guage of ineffable sweetness. I wonder if the voices of 
those who speak in this Hall may not come back to us. 

Mr. Speaker, if it is given in that other world to re- 
member what took place in this, I know that in the 
deepest sanctuary of Carl Van Dyke's heart is cherished 
the memory of the hours he spent with his wife and fam- 
ily, and next to them his friendships, and after these I 
am sure his soul responds to the tense excitement of this 
place in times of national stress and crisis. He had cour- 
age — moral courage, political courage — that virtue which 
is both rare and valuable, and because he had courage 
he loved politics, with its strife, its battles, its defeats, and 
its victories. 



[16] 



Address of Mr. Anderson, of Minnesota 

He thought straight and he voted as he thought. He 
loved those with whom he had been associated before he 
came to Congress. He never lost his interest in their wel- 
fare. He was never too busy to concern himself with their 
troubles. He had a broad sympathy with those in dis- 
tress and found a pleasure and satisfaction in aiding them. 
He understood the common people, perhaps because he 
never ceased being one of them. He was admired and 
loved, especially by his comrades of the War with Spain, 
and they delighted to honor him. He held the highest 
oflices that they could give him and administered them 
with distinction. He labored earnestly and zealously 
for the interest of the people of his district, and repre- 
sented them with ability. He had the charm of person- 
ality that begets enduring friendship and stimulates 
personal loyalty. 

I liked to talk with liim, and I spent many hours in his 
office, for he had a sound philosophy that inspired confi- 
dence and radiated good will. I came to respect his 
judgment and to admire his stanch integrity of mind and 
heart. He had faults, as who has not, but they only 
served to emphasize his many good qualities. When I 
think of him I like to remember that it is a great thing to 
be a statesman but a greater to be a man. 



60170—22 2 [17] 



Address of Mr. McClintic, of Oklahoma 

Mr. Speaker : I feel very grateful to the members of the 
Minnesota delegation in Congress for the kind invitation 
they have extended me to be present and participate in 
the memorial exercises held for our late distinguished col- 
league, Carl C. Van Dyke. 

During his service in Congress I considered him my 
warm, personal friend. My office was on the same floor, 
on the same corridor, and across the hall from his. I 
knew how he was regarded by his friends here in Wash- 
ington, but I never had any conception of how he was 
loved by his home people until I visited that city. I some- 
times think that the virtues of a Member of Congress are 
not fully appreciated by his colleagues until they have the 
opportunity of knowing how he is regarded by his home 
people. 

It was my privilege to be appointed by the House of 
Representatives as a member of the congressional com- 
mittee which accompanied his remains to his home, St. 
Paul, Minn. At various places along the route delega- 
tions of friends who had known him when he was con- 
nected with the Railway Mail Service or when he was 
performing service for the Spanish-American War Vet- 
erans met the train and presented beautiful floral tributes 
to be laid on the casket as a token of their appreciation 
of the splendid service he had performed for them in the 
past. At St. Paul many of the business institutions of the 
city closed their doors during the funeral as a mark of 
respect for the service performed for that city. The 
funeral procession passed through the beautiful memo- 
rial arch constructed at his suggestion for the purpose of 
honoring the returning veterans of the World War. It 
passed on to the capitol, which was filled by thousands 

[18] 



Address of Mr. McClintic, of Oklahoma 

of his admiring friends. His body was laid in state, sur- 
rounded by banks of flowers presented by friends as 
tokens of their appreciation for what he had done for 
them in the past. It was a sad but inspiring sight to wit- 
ness the sorrow that came over those who were present on 
that occasion as they gazed for the last time on the lifeless 
form of their friend. I have never witnessed a more im- 
pressive ceremony, and every Member of Congress who 
attended this funeral returned to Washington with the 
full realization that no Member was ever better loved by 
his people than our late distinguished colleague. 

In 1898, when the honor of this Nation was at stake and 
it was necessary to sever diplomatic relations with Spain, 
he was one of the first to volunteer his services when our 
President called for volunteers to defend the flag. He 
was willing to make the supreme sacrifice in order that 
the principles that have made this country the greatest on 
earth might survive. The hand of fate was kind to him, 
and his life was spared in order that he might accomplish 
good for those who would associate with him in the 
future. 

In his death the Nation has lost one of its bravest citi- 
zens and most loyal supporters; the United States Con- 
gress has lost one of its most faithful workers; the people 
of his district a man who always did his duty; and the wife 
and children have lost a loving husband and father whose 
chief aim in life was to always provide them with every 
comfort. 

Mr. Speaker, we arc to-day writing the last chapter in 
the life of our distinguished colleague, Carl C. Van Dyke. 
The record we are making will soon be filed in the ar- 
chives of the Nation as a public document to be reviewed 
by those who come after you and I are gone. Those who 
read the beautiful tributes that have been paid to his 



[19] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Van Dyke 

memory should be inspired by the thought that here was 
a man who always faithfully kept every trust imposed in 
him; one who always conducted himself in such a way 
as to merit the confidence and respect of all who knew 
him; and one who always followed the golden rule, "Do 
unto others as you would have them do unto you." 

Here Mr. Volstead took the chair. 



[20] 



Address of Mr. Davis, of Minnesota 

Mr. Speaker: To-day has been set apart by this hon- 
orable body to commemorate the life and services of 
the beloved late Representative of St. Paul, Minn., Carl 
Chester Van Dyke, and it is a pleasure for me to have 
this opportunity to make a few remarks as to his life and 
character. 

At the prime of life and zenith of his faculties Mr. 
Van Dyke was taken from our midst at the age of 38 
years. Although young in years, he was a man of sober 
thought, strong convictions, courageous in all matters, 
unlimited energj^ and his career was filled with activities 
for the public welfare. 

He was born of sturdy parentage at Alexandria, Minn., 
February 18, 1881, where he was reared to manhood. 
Attended and successfully completed courses in public 
schools, graded and high. Though limited in means, he 
assisted materially by working during spare moments and 
vacations. 

In this young man was instilled the spirit of patriotism; 
he was a " red-blooded American," for at the age of 17 
Mr. Van Dyke entered the Spanish-American War as a 
volunteer in the Fifteenth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry 
at St. Paul and received an honorable discharge at the 
termination of the war. He was a man of fine physique, 
soldierly bearing, and always grasped an opportunity to 
relieve the oppressed and uplift the downtrodden. 

Upon his discharge from the Army he returned to his 
home at Alexandria and received employment as a 
teacher in the public schools. 

Married Myrtle B. Lampmann, and out of said wedlock 
were born two daughters, Alleyene and Mildred. His 

[21] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Van Dyke 

home life was ideal, and his family were always upper- 
most in his thoughts; he was idolized by his friends and 
held in the highest esteem by all who were acquainted 
with him, who valued his many sterling qualities. 

Successfully passed the civil-service examination for 
railway mail clerk, received appointment, and faithfully 
served the Government for nine years in that capacity, 
and bore the distinction of being the youngest clerk in 
charge of a full railway post office at that time. While 
serving the Government Mr. Van Dyke was actively en- 
gaged in the betterment of the working conditions of 
his fellow employees. Was elected president of the rail- 
way mail clerks' organization at St. Paul, and by reason 
of his untiring activities the position of chairman of the 
Railway Mail Clerks' Welfare Association was created for 
him. He severed his connection with the Railway Mail 
Service after this appointment. 

As such chairman he appeared before the congressional 
committees, testifying as to sanitary and working condi- 
tions under which the railway postal employees labored, 
and through his endeavors conditions were greatly im- 
proved. To the postal railway employees his judgment 
was infallible and their confidence in him was supreme. 
He led the fight and finally was instrumental in securing 
the installation bj' our Government of the steel mail cars, 
which step was then revolutionary in the railroad world 
but now generally accepted. 

Elected to Congress as a Democrat for the Sixty-fourth 
and succeeding Congresses to date of his death. May 20, 
1919, after an illness of two days, at the George Wash- 
ington University Hospital, Washington, D. C. 

At the annual convention of the Spanish-American War 
Veteran'- held in Raltimore, Md., Mr. Van Dyke was hon- 
ored by hiis comrades by being unanimously elected as 
their commander in chief. 

[22] 



Address of Mr. Davis, of Minnesota 

As a Member of this honorable body Mr. Van Dyke 
deeply interested himself in all the great questions facing 
our country and people, and particularly in the passage 
of legislation that would assist the laboring man in better 
meeting the daily problems with which he was confronted. 

Mr. Van Dyke in all his actions and efforts was guided 
solely by his conscience as to the right and wrong, regard- 
less of party afTiliations, was a stanch and true friend, 
and at all times was interested in any matter that would 
assist to lighten the burdens carried by man throughout 
life. 

All who knew and were acquainted with him were im- 
pressed with and admired his manly stand on all great 
questions facing our country's welfare and its people; 
and although dead, as the world says, yet he liveth per- 
petually in the memory of those who knew him and were 
acquainted with his deeds, and they sympathize deeply 
with his wife, family, and relatives in their great loss. 

Here Mr. Davis, of Minnesota, again took the chair. 



[23] 



Address of Mr. Ernest Lundeen 

The Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Davis of Minnesota in 
the chair). Mr. Lundeen, a former Member of the House, 
forwarded the following, with a request that it be inserted 
in the Record: 

Carl Van Dyke was my friend. He was a friend of the 
people. He fought his battle for the average man. He was never 
unfair to anyone. He never forgot the people who sent him to 
Congress to represent the capital city of the North Star State. 

In Congress men need courage above all else. Carl Van Dyke 
was not afraid. In the greatest crisis of world history he voted 
to keep his country out of war, and the course of events has 
proven him right. I will never forget that midnight hour, April 5, 
1917. I walked over from the Republican side to the Democrats 
where he was standing and I said, " Carl, how are you going to 
vote on the war? " The emotion of the moment was almost too 
much for us all, and he said, " Ernie, I am going to vote as the 
people of St. Paul want me to vote." That settled it for Carl 
Van Dyke. He was a man. They could not bluff him. He could 
not be bulldozed. He followed the dictates of his conscience. 
That course was to him the highest law of patriotism. Joel 
Lundeen, my brother, served in the Raihvay Mail Service for sev- 
eral years, and knew St. Paul's Congressman well, and we often 
talked about the fight " Van," as he was often affectionately called, 
put up for the Federal employees in and out of the Capitol. Van 
Dyke himself rose from their ranks to represent them in the 
United States Congress. When in doubt follow " Van " was the 
admonition given me by many a railway man. They believed in 
him. He was their friend. It was " write Van," " wire Van," 
" let's get Van for our main speaker," and so on. 

In the Spanish-American War he served Minnesota and the 
United States well, and so highly was he esteemed by his com- 
rades that he was made their commander in chief in the midst of 
the World War. I can see him yet when he returned from the 
Baltimore convention the new commander in chief of the United 
Spanish War Veterans. He was never in a happier frame of 

[24] 



Address of Mr. Ernest Lundeen 



mind. In and out of Congress he fought for his comrades, and 
he fought well. Anyone in distress, he was at hand to help. 
Sickness, then a friendly and cheering word. To put it all in 
one word, he was a comrade. We of the Spanish-American War 
Veterans will often speak of Van Dyke in the years to come. He 
builded for us, he fought for us. We will remember him. Labor 
will not forget " Van." The great majority of mankind labor. 
He did not forget that fact, and he truly represented that ma- 
jority. How often men are elected to Congress by the people to 
fight for the people only to forget the people I St. Paul was for- 
tunate to have such a Representative. He brought honor to the 
fourth district of Minnesota. The years will roll by, decade upon 
decade new men fill the place of honor he once held. None will 
better represent St. Paul and Minnesota. The silent thousands 
that crowded about him to do him honor, the plain people, they 
loved him. They sorrowed at his grave. 

There is no night; the stars go down 

To rise upon some other shore. 
And bright in heaven's jeweled crown 

They shine forevermore. 



[25] 



Address of Mr. Newton, of Minnesota 

Mr. Speaker: My acquaintance with Carl Van Dyke 
was somewhat limited. I first met him personally fol- 
lowing my election to the Sixty-sixth Congress and during 
the latter days of the last session of the Sixty-fifth Con- 
gress. Coming from an adjoining city, I had known of 
him and his work for some years, but for some reason 
or other we had not met, and so upon coming down here 
one of the first Congressmen whom I had the pleasure of 
meeting was Mr. Van Dyke. My impression of him, of 
course, had been most favorable theretofore, and upon 
meeting him I immediately realized something of the 
secret of the hold that he had upon his friends and neigh- 
bors in the adjoining city of St. Paul. His was truly a 
genial spirit. It was the end of a busy session. I saw 
him but little during those remaining days, and upon 
going overseas and returning back just in time for the 
opening session of the 19th of May was shocked almost 
beyond belief upon hearing of his sudden death. 

From my acquaintance with and knowledge of him and 
his work, I believe Carl Van Dyke will be known in the 
future, as he was looked upon while he was with us, as 
one of Minnesota's leading citizens. He had not only a 
genial spirit but an abounding confidence in and love 
for his fellow men. 

It was this spirit that shone forth on each and every 
occasion. It was this spirit that was with him in his work 
in the Railway Mail Service. It was this spirit which 
prompted and guided him when he represented his fellow 
workers before the Government departments and the 
committees of Congress. It was this spirit that was with 
him in this Chamber as he spoke for the rights of the men 
who toil in the world. 

[26] 



Address of Mr. Newton, of Minnesota 

There have been many beautiful eulogies here this 
afternoon. Beautiful as they have been, eventually they 
will be forgotten, but the State of Minnesota, his comrades 
of the Spanish- American War, his fellow workers in the 
Postal Service, his colleagues in this Congress, regardless 
of party, will long remember the life, service, and sterling 
character of Carl C. Van Dyke. 



1271 



Address of Mr. Knutson, of Minnesota 

The Speaker pro tempore. The Chair wishes to state 
that last evening, quite late, Harold Knutson, from Minne- 
sota, came to my office and made this request to me, say- 
ing that he very much desired to be present on this occa- 
sion to deliver a short eulogy at least upon the death of 
Carl Van Dyke, but he was suddenly and hastily called 
to Minnesota on very important matters and could not be 
here, and requested that I have some one of our col- 
leagues read for him, to go into the Record, a statement 
which he handed to me. I have just given the statement 
to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Newton), and I 
request him to read that statement as and for Harold 
Knutson. 

Mr. Newton, of Minnesota, read the following: 

Mr. Knutson. Mr*. Speaker, " Man that is born of a woman is 
of a few days and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, 
and is cut down; he fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not." 

When the news came to me that my friend and colleague, 
Congressman Cari, C. Van Dyke, had passed to the great beyond, 
I was shocked and pained. I had seen him but a few days be- 
fore, apparently in full vigor and virile manhood, and his sud- 
den and unexpected demise called to my mind the Biblical quota- 
tion quoted. 

. To know Carl Van Dyke was to love, admire, and esteem him. 
He possessed all those sterling qualities which go to make a good 
citizen. At the early age of 17 he answered his country's call 
and served faithfully during the Spanish-American War. His 
life since that time was one of sacrifice for others. He was never 
so happy as when he was doing something for some one else. 
He was in every way a self-made man; elected to the Sixty-fourth 
Congress after a very strenuous campaign, he immediately took 
a prominent part in the House. As a member of the Labor and 
District of Columbia Committees he showed the stuff that was in 
him. He was a two-fisted fighter who always fought open and 

[28] 



Address of Mr. Knutson, of Minnesota 

abovt'board. Carl Van Dyke would not sloop to underhanded 
methods, no matter what the provocation, and he commanded 
the respect and admiration of friend and foe alike. 

In his death the Nation lost a true and faithful legislator, Minne- 
sota and the city of St. Paul a splendid citizen, and the sorrow- 
ing family a kind and loving husband and father. Of him it can 
be truthfully said, " Well done, thou good and faithful servant." 

To-day I join with my colleagues in paying this poor tribute 
to his memory and silently drop a tear for a good friend who 
has gone on before to 

" The undiscovered country, from whose bourn 
No traveler returns." 



liJ9| 



Address of Mr. Sanders, of Indiana 

Mr. Speaker : I did not know Carl C. Van Dyke until I 
came to Congress. A very few weeks after I was here I 
had the pleasure of meeting him at the first meeting of 
the Committee on Mines and Mining, of which he and I 
were both members. He was a man of such fine appear- 
ance and striking personality that no one who ever met 
him could forget him. We served on that committee 
together for a period of two years. He took a very active 
interest in all deliberations of the committee. He was 
one of the practical sort of men whose advice was impor- 
tant in legislative matters. He had a happy faculty of 
brushing aside technicalities and inconsequential details 
and going right to the heart of proposed legislation. He 
was courageous and conscientious, and in all my experi- 
ence with him in legislative matters I saw not a single 
instance of petty partisanship in his conduct. Coming 
from the ranks of labor himself, he always took an active 
and sympathetic interest in legislation purposing the 
remedy of existing evils in working conditions. 

There were two other matters in which Carl Van Dyke 
took a particular interest. One was legislation respecting 
employees of the Post Office Department. A former em- 
ployee himself, he knew the needs of the men. He was in 
close touch with the organization of postal employees and 
was always able to present their case in a clear and con- 
vincing manner. 

The other was the interest of the Spanish-American 
War veterans. When the Spanish-American War broke 
out, over 20 years ago, Carl Van Dyke was one of the 
first volunteers to fight his country's battles. He served 
with courage and distinction during that war, and so 

[30] 



Address of Mr. Sanders, of Indiana 



gained the respect and confidence of his comrades that 
he was at the time of his death commander in chief of the 
national organization of the United Spanish-American 
War Veterans. With this intimate knowledge and with 
the needs of his comrades, and with his large, close per- 
sonal acquaintance, he became their champion on the 
floor of the House. He was a champion worthy of that 
great organization. 

Mr. Speaker, a feeling of sorrow comes to us who were 
close in our friendship to Hon. Carl C. Van Dyke. Every- 
one knew him as Carl. We all must bow to the will of 
our Maker, but we can not repress a feeling of sadness 
as we recall that he was stricken in the prime of his man- 
hood. When he was carried back to his native State of 
Minnesota by his comrades of the Spanish-American War 
and his colleagues in Congress a more impressing tribute 
to his memory could not have been given. I shall always 
remember that day as he lay in state in the beautiful 
capitol of St. Paul, guarded by his Spanish-American War 
comrades. Thousands upon thousands of his friends 
came to pay their silent tribute of love and respect. The 
whole Nation suffered a loss in his death, but the United 
Spanish-American War Veterans suffered a big loss. He 
was their chief, their counselor, and their friend. 

When I think of the life of Carl Van Dyke there conies 
to my mind the beautiful poem of Babcock : 

Be strong 1 
We are not here to play, to dream, to drift; 
We have hard work to do and loads to lift. 
Shun not the struggle, face it; 'tis God's gift. 

Be strong! 
Say not the days are evil — who's to blame? 
And fold the hands and acquiesce. shame! 
Stand up, speak out bravely, in God's name. 



[31] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Van Dyke 

Be strongi 
It matters not how deep intrenched the wrong, 
How hard the battle goes, the day how long; 
Faint not; fight on I To-morrow comes the song. 

Mr. Speaker, on his crypt at the cemetery in Minnesota 
is a bronze tablet bearing the inscription which best de- 
scribes his life. It is as follows : 

Carl C. Van Dyke. Born February 18, 1881. Died May 20, 
1919. Commander in chief of the United Spanish War Veterans. 
Member of the Sixty-fourth, Sixty-fifth (World War), Sixty-sixth 
Congresses of the United States of America, representing the 
fourth district of Minnesota. 

A great-souled man, whose life was an interpretation of Amer- 
ica to Americans; a man of the people, endowed by and repre- 
sentative of that Nation which gave him birth, for which he 
fought, and for whose Christian ideals of brotherhood he ever 
was a militant evangelist, beloved of men. 



[321 



Addhess of Mr. Carss, of Minnesota 

Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the House: There is 
little that I can add to the eloquent tributes paid by the 
gentlemen who have preceded me to the memory of my 
friend and colleague, Carl C. Van Dyke, but nevertheless 
I wish to add my humble testimony to what has already 
been said. 

Carl C. Van Dyke was my friend, and I loved him. 
His influence on all those who came in contact with him 
was inspiring to better things, and his death was a great 
loss to the State of Minnesota and to the body wherein he 
has served so faithfully and well. Born among humble 
surroundings and reared in the hard school of experience, 
he developed such sturdy, honest, and sincere traits of 
character that he rose to a place of honor and trust in the 
greatest lawmaking body of the world and in the hearts 
of the people of his State and of the Nation. 

Carl C. Van Dyke was raised on a farm in Minnesota. 
His early life was spent in the hard work that was re- 
quired to develop that great State. He was educated in 
the common schools and high schools of Alexandria. 
After completing his high-school course he taught school 
in Douglas County, Minn. When the call for troops was 
made at the beginning of the Spanish-American V^ar 
young Van Dyke was one of the first to oiTer his services 
in defense of the flag. At the close of the war Mr. Van 
Dyke entered the Government as a railway mail clerk. 
He afterwards represented the railway mail clerks' 
branch of the Government employees in this citj'. While 
in the Government service he completed a law course. 
He was elected to the Sixty-fourth, Sixty-fifth, and re- 
elected to the Sixt>'-sixfh Congress. At the Ume of his 

60170—22 3 [33] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Van Dyke 

death he was the honored commander in chief of the 
Spanish-American War Veterans Association. 

The whole course of Carl C. Van Dyke's life was a 
struggle against adverse circumstances. It was my sad 
duty to be present at his funeral in St. Paul. Seldom 
if ever in the history of Minnesota has such a tribute of 
love and honor been paid to one of its citizens. The chil- 
dren strewed the route of the funeral cortege with wild 
flowers. The entire city of St. Paul was in mourning 
for the big-hearted, loyal friend of the common people; 
people of all ranks and station in life laid aside their 
accustomed pursuits to join in doing honor to this truly 
great man. The entire business life of the city was sus- 
pended, and thousands crowded the route of the funeral 
procession, with bared heads, to pay a last farewell to 
the man they loved. 

As I last looked upon his features as he lay in state 
under the dome of that magnificent palace, the capitol 
building at St. Paul, surrounded by banks of flowers, 
the tokens of respect and love of his host of friends, 
guarded by the faithful comrades who never left his side 
from the time his body left the hospital until they fired 
the last volley over his grave, I realized that I was indeed 
parting with a true friend, and one whose like I might 
not look upon again. The life of Carl C. Van Dyke 
stands as an inspiration to all the young of our land. It 
stands as an example of what may be achieved by those 
who by honest, earnest efforts seek to raise themselves to 
positions of honor and prominence, and the memory of 
his life will long linger in the hearts of the common 
people, for whose interests he devoted his best energies 
and whose cause he faithfully championed through all 
his honorable career. 



[34] 



Address of Mr. Schall, of Minnesota 

Mr. Speaker: When the finger of death is laid on a 
man, young, alert, capable, in the fullness of his powers, 
it adds a greater pathos and widens the circle of bereave- 
ment. When the grim reaper garnered Comrade Carl 
Van Dyke to his Maker he took a man in his prime, at 
the moment when he was reaching out his hand to grasp 
fruition from years of deprivation, of toil, of self-denial. 
Born into a family of straitened means, he early shoul- 
dered his own burden and put his strength into the task 
of bringing along the others in the large family. He made 
his own way through the public schools, helping himself 
along by teaching school, and finally taking law while a 
railway mail clerk. 

His 14 years in the Railway Mail Service showed a 
steady upward climb, and though clerk in charge, his big 
heart and quick sympathy and justice were always keen 
to understand and appreciate the side of the men. He 
fought for their interests at all times; hence he managed 
to incur the disfavor of those in power, and finally re- 
signed. He was made chairman of the welfare conmiittee 
of the tenth division, and while in this service, though 
still a young man, he had so endeared himself, his won- 
derful warmth of heart, personal magnetism, and knowl- 
edge of human nature had won him so many friends that 
he was sent to Congress, being elected to the Sixty-fourth. 
His victorj', young and unknown, with no machine but 
his own self-made one, woven of the iron bands of friend- 
ship, over a man older, experienced, statesmanlike, pol- 
ished, cultured, well trained, and capable, came as one 
of the surprises of the campaign — the one Democratic 
Representative in a Republican State. His unblemished 
labor record won him reelection. 



[35] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Van Dyke 

He was intensely domestic, passionately devoted to his 
home and to his family. His constant regret was that 
unsatisfactory housing conditions in Washington pre- 
vented him from having them with him. The strain, the 
irregularity, the tremendous responsibilities of the war 
session took toll of his strength. It is in keeping with 
the character of the man that even those closest to him 
did not suspect that for a long time before he died he 
was suffering. He made light of his physical condition, 
refused to consider himself, drove his splendid constitu- 
tion at the rate he had always maintained, and so per- 
formed his duties and box'e his affliction that few sus- 
pected the terrible handicap under which he was working. 

When his final illness occurred he refused to notify any 
of his colleagues, but went to the hospital alone. His 
death did not come as a surprise to him. Before he came 
to the last session, when he was taking leave of his wife, 
his Spartan courage for a moment gave way, and he said, 
" I will never see you again." And he never did. He was 
stricken down in the midst of his duties. At the hospital, 
with his life blood draining away in a hemorrhage, he still 
fought valiantly, never giving up his courage or his will 
to live. With the realization that the flood of black 
waters was rising over him inevitably, he asked the hos- 
pital assistants around, "Aren't you going to do something 
for me?" Unable to the last to believe that his fighting 
courage and determination must give way before a 
mightier power. 

Simple, democratic, unaffected, he possessed in an un- 
usual degree the power of making and keeping friends. 
He kept his word, he kept his head; a plain, blunt man, 
that loved his friends and told them what they themselves 
did know. His heart was a heart of understanding, for he 
had been upon Mount Sinai, had seen the lightning flash 
and heard the thunders roll, had partaken of the meal of 

[36] 



Address of Mr. Schall, of Minnesota 

locusts and clothed himself in the camel's hair. He knew 
adversity, and could never forget its lesson, and therefore 
understood the heart of the laboring man, whose constant 
friend he was in private life as well as in his career as Con- 
gressman. A Spanish-American War veteran, through 
his executive ability and sterling qualities he rose to com- 
mander in chief of our organization, whose principles and 
ideals have held aloft to the youth of the land an example 
of loyal Americanism. 

To know Comrade Carl Van Dyke was to be his 
friend. To ultimately understand his character was to 
admire it. To come in contact with his mental power was 
to respect it. To oppose him was to fear him, for the un- 
demonstrative resources that he could call to his command 
were astounding to his political enemies. 

Quiet, unassuming, modest, unpretentious, caring not for 
the vaunt of leadership if the cause he championed was 
victorious. It was results he sought, not praise. 

Laborer, student of nature, statesman, he put himself 
in harmony with the constitution of things, ever stamping 
them with his mark. The plain folks who knew him and 
who gathered at his funeral in such multitudes as no pub- 
lic man in the history of St. Paul ever received cherish 
his memory, and their hearts will echo and reecho his 
praise and his prowess in his fight for the human cause. 

The Speaker pro tempore. Pursuant to the resolution 
heretofore adopted and as a further tribute to the deceased 
the Chair declares the House now adjourned. 

Accordingly (at 2 o'clock and 30 minutes p. m.) the 
House adjourned to meet to-morrow, Monday, May 17, 
1920, at 12 o'clock noon. 

Monday. May 24, 1920. 

Mr. Davis of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to reso- 
lution heretofore adopted, the House of Representatives, 



[37] 



Memorial Addresses: Representati\'e Van Dyke 

on Sunday, Maj^ 16, 1920, convened for the purpose of hav- 
ing delivered eulogies upon the life, character, and con- 
duct of our recently deceased beloved colleague, Carl 
Chester Van Dyke, of St. Paul, Minn. On that occasion 
a number of Members who desired to pay tribute to Mr. 
Van Dyke were unavoidably absent. Recently 1 have re- 
ceived from some of them addresses which they desire 
to have incorporated in the Record concerning Mr. Van 
Dyke. 

1 therefore, Mr. Speaker, ask unanimous consent to ex- 
tend my remarks in the Record by inserting an address 
of Hon. Franklin F. Ellsworth, of Minnesota, and of Hon. 
Everett Sanders, of Indiana. 

The Speaker. The gentleman from Minnesota asks 
unanimous consent to extend his remarks in the Record 
for the purpose indicated. Is there objection? 

Mr. Gard. Did not the Record contain at the time of the 
exercises an order that the Members had the right to ex- 
tend their remarks on that subject? 

Mr. Davis of Minnesota. It did; but I, having charge of 
the publication of the book, have been asked to make this 
request and have these addresses inserted in the Record. 
I desire to extend my remarks. 

The Speaker. The gentleman has that right. 



[38] 



PROCEEDINGS IN THE SENATE 



Tuesday, May 20, 1919. 

A message from the House of Representatives, by D. K. 
Hempstead, its enrolling clerk, communicated to the 
Senate the intelligence of the death of Hon. Carl C. Van 
Dyke, late a Representative from the State of Minnesota, 
and transmitted resolutions of the House thereon. 

The Vice President. The Chair laj's before the Senate 
a resolution from the House of Representatives, which 
will be read. 

The resolutions were read, as follows: 

In the House of Representatives 

OF THE United States, 

May 20, 1919. 

Resolved, That the House has heard witli profound sorrow of 
the death of Hon. Carl C. Van Dyke, a Representative from the 
State of Minnesota. 

liesolved, That a committee of 18 Members of the House, with 
such Members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to 
attend the funeral. 

Resolved, That the Sergeant at Arms of the House be authorized 
and directed to take such steps as may be necessary for carrying 
out the provisions of these resolutions, and that the necessary 
expenses in connection therewith be paid out of the contingent 
fund of the House. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the 
Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. 

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect this House do now 
adjourn. 

Mr. Kellogg. Mr. President, I offer the following reso- 
lutions and ask for their adoption. 



[39] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Van Dyke 

The resolutions (S. Res. 27) were read, considered by 
unanimous consent, and unanimously agreed to, as fol- 
lows: 

Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the 
announcement of the death of Hon. Carl C. Van Dyke, late a 
Representative from the State of Minnesota. 

Resolved, That a committee of Senators be appointed by the 
Vice President to join such committee as may be appointed on 
the part of the House of Representatives to attend the funeral 
of the deceased. 

Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these reso- 
lutions to the House of Representatives. 

Mr. Ransdell. Mr. President, as a further mark of 
respect to the memory of the deceased Representative 
named in the resolution just adopted, I move that the 
Senate do now adjourn. 

The motion was unanimously agreed to; and (at 1 
o'clock and 15 minutes p. m.) the Senate adjourned until 
Friday, May 23, 1919, at 12 o'clock meridian. 

Tuesday, May 18, 1920. 
A message from the House of Representatives, by D. K. 
Hempstead, its enrolling clerk, transmitted to the Senate 
resolutions on the life, character, and public services of 
Hon. Carl C. Van Dyke, late a Representative from the 
State of Minnesota. 



[40] 



FUNERAL ORATION 

delivered by the 

Hon. Franklin F. Ellsworth at Chapel of Forest Cemetery 
Mausoleum, St. Paul, at Funeral of the Late Hon. Carl C. 
Van Dyke, May 24, 1919. 

Man can not contemplate the flowers and trees, the hills and 
valleys, the sun and stars without awakening in his breast the 
fervid hope of the life beyond. 

We are not philosophers; the mazes of theology and the proc- 
esses of theosophy are to us a mystery; but we can discern 
beyond the twilight zone which separates the existence here 
from tliat beyond the spirit of the teachings of the Nazarene. 

We feel an intuitive sense of mighty power, of exalted ideals, 
of an inexplicable grandeur in nature, and we soliloquize. 

Ah, we think, surely if the Power above breathes into the rose- 
buds the bloom which fills the winds of the valley with richest 
fragrance, it is more than chance that the assembled thoughts 
and hopes and aspirations of men should furnish the hidden 
motive power that drives the turbine and builds a city. 

If nature's alchemy, in the first biting frosts of late summer, 
will change the mountain forest into a variegated screen for the 
curious and reflective to ponder over, surely the triumph of this 
same master hand is the marvelous blend of the babel of the 
human race. 

And when the autumn is come and the sear and yellow leaves 
of the mountain wood glide through the chill November air to 
light upon the polished steel railroad rails at the mountain's 
foot to be crushed to bare and sapless skeletons, if the oak and 
the poplar and the pine will live to reproduce their wonder 
panorama for generations yet unborn, will the Divine Father leave 
neglected the souls of men when in their autumn time they shake 
ofl" the barren hulks that formed the biding places for their short 
sojourn here? 

And when the blasts of winter come, if the Father of Fathers 
in His all-wise and omnipotent power will cuddle the willow and 
the rosebud and the palm in nature's protecting robe, and bold 



[41] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Van Dyke 

forth the prospect of returning summers, will He withhold the 
promise of the life beyond to the still soul waiting in the grave? 

Ah, no! Let us rather believe that the beneficent Creator, who 
fixes the seasons and the stars, who dispenses the rainfall and 
the dew, who scatters the pollen to perpetuate the green verdure 
of mother earth, will find some sweet haven of rest for the tired 
soul whose earthly span has been devoted to the guardianship of 
the Master's creation. 

Death but marks the terminal of earth's journey and is the 
transition state to prepare the ncophite for initiation into the 
ethereal splendor of the never-ending day. The finite mind can 
not comprehend its metaphysical state or encompass its boundless 
sphere. 

Earth's milestones are but weak and linklcss chains with 
which the mortal mind is impotent to reach through the cavern 
of eternity's fugitive goal. Our day's fleeting sunshine and night's 
dazzling incandescence are but the glow and flickering of uncer- 
tain beacons on the way to the perpetual radiance of the palace 
in the skies. Earth's broken reeds and shrill flageolets can only 
form the listening ear to drink the perfect harmony of the 
celestial choir. 

We reach for salvation; it moves away. We grope for under- 
standing; the mind fails. We build by the rule and guide of the 
prophets and philosophers, and when we would crown the super- 
structure it crumbles and is gone. 

Men whose dominant life's note is accomplishment of salva- 
tion for their own souls are but self-serving ambassadors, who 
treat in a language unspoken by the Creator; but he who holds 
self as an infinitesimal being save as he may commingle his im- 
pulses and aspirations with the universal scheme must become 
an indispensable part of the general plan. 

Ah, my friends, I do not believe that anyone in all the world 
could have a more difilcult task to perform than have I this day. 

When the sad news came from Washington that Congressman 
Carl C. Van Dyke had died it might well be said that never in 
our State's history has intelligence of such nature been met with 
more widespread grief and sorrow. 

The tribute paid to-day by the thousands on the streets of this 
beautiful city of St. Paul, under the dome of our State capitol, 



[42] 



Funeral Oration 



and in this splendid mausoleum was a most magnificent one and 
shows but in a small degree the esteem in which Congressman 
Van Dyke was held by all citizens of all walks of life. 

When this sad news came from Washington it meant to the 
loving and sorrowful wife, the two daughters grown to woman- 
hood, and the seven brothers of the same character and sturdy 
stock, part of them gathered from distant States, that a loving 
and affectionate husband and kind and indulgent father and a 
generous-hearted and considerate brother had been taken away. 

To the little compact community of Alexandria, near fields 
and lakes and streams where he sported in boyhood, where the 
older residents point out the path to the village school of the 
earlier days, where he was born and reared and betrothed and 
took up, almost a mere youth, life's problems of husbandhood and 
fatherhood, the sad news meant that " Carl," native son, who had 
achieved distinction and reflected honor on his native city, was 
cut down in early life and his career was ended. 

The sad message of death meant that thousands in the Govern- 
ment Railway Mail Service throughout America, men who had 
fought valiantly behind him while he organized them and led 
them, in Congress and out, in their fight for their rights and 
privileges, had lost their loyal chief; it meant that every city and 
rural letter carrier and every employee of the great Post OfTice 
Department had lost their friend. I saw its mute evidence as the 
funeral train reached the city. Standing at the open door of a 
railway mail car, in working garb, cap in hand, head bowed, 
and with eyes fixed upon the American flag draped over the body 
of the former chieftain, a tall, pale-faced man, perhaps a fighter 
in the ranks, perhaps an olTicial associate, and perhaps just going 
out on the old run through Devils Lake or Larimore, where "Van" 
had worked in days gone by, stood silently and unobserved among 
the thousands, the tears streaming down his cheeks. To him and 
his associates death's most exalted dignity and life's most gen- 
erous impulses were embodied in the name upon their lips this 
day, the simple name " Van Dyke." 

The sad news of the death of Carl C. Van Dyke meant to 
40,000 men who left their homes 21 years ago to give their services 
to the country's cause that their recently elected commander in 
chief had fallen. It meant the passing of their champion in Con- 
gress for pensions for their widows and preference in Govern- 



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Memorial Addresses: Representative Van Dyke 

ment employment for soldiers and sailors and marines of all 
wars. We saw these veterans in platoon formation at the Grand 
Central Station at Chicago sounding taps upon the bugle as the 
funeral train departed; and to-day this occasion is honored by 
the presence of three past commanders in chief, Comrades Smith, 
Chisholm, and Busch, and Adjt. Gen. Raths, comrade, coworker, 
lifelong friend, and beneficiary of the most sacred public trust 
that it was his duty during his lifetime to confer. 

To his colleagues in Congress Carl C. Van Dyke's death meant 
that there had been taken away a Member of that honorable 
body who had always, with conspicuous courage for his con- 
victions, faithfully performed every sacred trust. He was known 
in Congress as a man who was unswervingly loyal to his ideals, 
and whose aspirations were not for station and position, but to 
be able to perform a service. We saw him in our country's great- 
est crisis, disregarding what for the time seemed to best sub- 
serve his own personal or selfish ends as he courageously fought 
for his convictions and for the best interests and welware of his 
country. 

But I have not spoken of the guiding motive of his life, the con- 
trolling ideal which made his career a conspicuous one. It was 
his attitude toward his fellow man. Reared in a country com- 
munity, learning early the responsibilities of the home provider, 
starting as a worker in the ranks, his heart was always with the 
workers. He loved and trusted the men who work. He had their 
confidence and they enjoyed his confidence. He believed but 
little in the aristocracy of social caste, but was absorbed in the 
aristocracy of service. His friendships and sympathies were not 
those of utility, passing when the utilitarian purpose had been 
accomplished, nor of pleasure, vanishing as the flitting moments 
passed, but the strong, substantial friendships of admiration, of 
human sympathy, of common cause, and early in life he adopted, 
unconsciously perhaps, the cause of the workers, and it became 
his life's work. Like the face chiseled in the solid granite rocks 
of the White Mountains of New Hampshire, reverently termed 
the " Old Man of the Mountain," and representing to the New 
Englanders who sojourn there a lofty ideal and purpose, there 
will ever remain in the affections and memories of the working 
people of our great State the tender recollections of the ideals and 
purposes and of the life and character of Carl C. Van Dyke. 



[44] 



Funeral Oration 



Speaking for my colleagues in Congress assembled here on this 
occasion, representing as we do the Senate and House of Repre- 
sentatives, we wish to extend our sympathy to the wife, the 
daughters, and brothers of our colleague and comrade, and to say 
to you that amidst your heavy burden of sorrow you must recog- 
nize the right to feel a just pride in future years that no man in 
Minnesota's history will occupy a higher place on the roster of 
honor, and that few men have ever contributed a more sub- 
stantial and definite service to his fellow men than did Cabl C. 
Van Dyke. 



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